Refer a Friend

Am I eligible to refer a friend?

Yes! Simply send the referral link to your friends so they can book with us. You can refer a maximum of 10 friends and earn cash rewards.

Is my friend eligible for the reward?

Yes – you can refer anyone! Even if they have booked with us before. For your referred friend’s booking to be eligible for the reward they must use the referral link to book their accommodation. If a friend has made more than one booking using a referral link (with yours or anyone else’s), they will only be rewarded once. No rewards will be issued for other bookings.

How can I claim my reward?

If your reward is being paid to your credit card:

All you need is a Booking.com account, and to add and register your credit card details for receiving rewards. After your friend returns from their stay, we’ll put the cash reward on your card. Don’t have an account? Create one here.

If your reward is being paid out in Wallet credit:

All you need is a Booking.com account. The email address in your account should match the one you used to book. After your friend returns from their stay, we’ll add the reward amount to your Wallet. Don’t have an account yet? You can create one here.

When do I get my reward?

If your reward is being paid to your credit card:

Once your friend has returned from their trip, we'll verify your reward and you will receive an email on how to claim it. It can take between 30 and 60 business days for you to receive the reward payment. You can always sign in to your account to check your reward status.

If your reward is being paid out in Wallet credit:

Once your friend has returned from their trip, we'll start the verification process. You will receive an email with more information about the next steps. It can take between 30 and 60 business days for you to receive your reward payment. You can always sign in to your account and go to 'My Rewards' page to check the latest status.

How can my friend claim the reward?

If your reward is being paid to your credit card:

Your friend needs to have a Booking.com account. They have to add and register their credit card details for receiving rewards. After they return from their stay, we’ll put the cash reward on their card. If your friend doesn’t have a Booking.com account, they can sign up for one with the same email address they used to book their reservation.

If your reward is being paid out in Wallet credit:

Your friend needs to have a Booking.com account. The email address in their account should match the one they used to book. After they return from their stay, we’ll add the reward amount to their Wallet.

When will my friend get the reward?

If your reward is being paid to your credit card:

Once your friend has returned from their trip, we'll verify the reward and your friend will receive an email on how to claim it. It can take between 30 and 60 business days for them to receive the reward payment.

If your reward is being paid out in Wallet credit:

Once your friend has returned from their trip, we'll start the verification process. They will receive an email with more information about the next steps. It can take between 30 and 60 business days for your friend to receive the reward payment. They can always sign in to their account and go to 'My Rewards' page to check the latest status.

Why hasn’t my reward arrived?

If your reward is being paid to your credit card:

This is usually because people haven’t registered their cards for receiving rewards or removed their card information from their accounts before the reward was paid out. Please ensure you have saved a Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card in your account and registered it for receiving rewards.

If your reward is being paid out in Wallet credit:

This usually happens because we first need to verify if all the requirements are met before we can send the reward payment. The entire verification process can take between 30 and 60 business days - after that, we'll add the reward amount to the Wallet.

How can I check the status of my reward?

Can I use the reward as a discount for a future booking?

No, the reward can’t be redeemed against a future booking. The reward is only put on your credit card after your friend has booked and completed their stay.

What happens if my friend cancels their booking?

If your friend cancels the booking neither you nor your friend will receive the reward. However, if your friend makes a new booking with your link, you will both still be eligible for the reward.

How long is the link valid for?

The link does not expire and it can be used at any time. However, Booking.com has the right to cancel the scheme at any time.

How will my friend and I receive the reward payment?

All rewards are paid directly to the Wallet. Wallet is the place where all rewards get automatically stored as credit and where you and your friend will be able to see how much credit you've earned and all details about previous activity.

What if I don’t have a credit card to claim my reward?

It’s no problem. You can use a Visa or MasterCard debit card instead and claim in the same way as a credit card.

Property referral programme - FAQ

Who can I send the referral link to?

You can send it to anyone, from hoteliers to people that just rent out their apartment part-time. However, it must be the first property your referred friend is registering with Booking.com, otherwise, the reward programme does not apply.

How many people can I send the referral link to?

You can refer as many people as you like. The more people you send it to, the greater chance you have of people joining.

When do I qualify for a refundable booking reward?

Your friend must register their property and open to guests within 30 days. They then have 90 days to complete their first booking. If these requirements are met, both you and your friend will be eligible to earn your rewards.

How do I claim my refundable booking reward?

The refundable booking reward is claimed by using the unique booking link provided to make a new booking. After you have completed your stay, we will refund the money to the credit card used for the new booking.

Is there a time limit on the refundable booking reward?

Yes, you must make your booking within 90 days of receiving the unique booking link, but the date of the booking can be at any time in the future.

What happens if I book a room worth less than the value of the refundable booking reward?

The reward is a refund for 1 booking only. Bookings made that are less than the reward value, will only be refunded up to the cost of the made booking.

What if I cancel my booking?

If you cancel your booking and do not complete your stay your refundable booking link will be made available to you again.

How many rewards can I earn?

You can earn a maximum of 10 refundable booking rewards. However, you can continue to refer friends to list their property, as your friends will still receive their first 5 bookings commission-free.

Is there a time limit on the commission-free reward?

The commission-free reward is only applicable to bookings earned within the first 90 days of the property going live. For example, if the referred friend earns 4 bookings in 90 days and their 5th after more than 90 days, they will only receive 4 bookings commission-free.

Is there a financial limit for the commission-free reward?

Yes, the maximum value your friend can earn per commission-free reward (per the total 5 bookings) is € 200.

How can I check the status of my reward?

You can check your current reward status and reward history by visiting your account.

Booking.com retains the right to withhold a reward in case of a suspicious reservation.

Here’s the legal stuff

If you want to know more about our Refer a Friend scheme, you can read our Terms & Conditions. It contains all the legal bits as you’d expect. Here, we call the person referring a friend the ‘Advocate’, and the friend is known as the ‘Referee’. Alternatively, if you want to know more about the Property Referral Programme here are the Terms & Conditions.